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Batteries and Energy Storage: The Next Technology Advances

View Proposal Here (PDF format)

TCGR Proposes New Study!

Batteries and Energy Storage: The Next Technology Advances

The race to commercialize electric vehicles and hybrids (EV/HB), as well as autonomous vehicles, has intensified in the last three (3) years, prompting many commercial and technological questions relative to the sustainable growth of lithium-ion (Li-B) batteries for transportation and energy storage applications!

Lithium-ion cells, in their most common form, consist of a graphite anode, a lithium metal oxide cathode and an electrolyte of a lithium salt and an organic solvent. Lithium is a good choice for an electrochemical cell due to its large standard electrode potential (-3.04 V) resulting in a high operating voltage (which helps both power and energy) and the fact that it is a metal with the lowest density (which reduces weight). While there is “no doubt” LiB is here to stay into the foreseeable future, it is already known within the industry, that despite incremental ongoing improvements, it has major challenges, such as;

  • The cost and availability of the metals – lithium, cobalt and nickel – have been rising based on demand and their supplies (Congo for cobalt) are constrained and sensitive to political factors. Already the price commodity for Co has doubled in the last year.
  • As the EV/HB battery on-board demands for power increase per vehicle, the density of storage and driving range of the LiB is being challenged.
  • There are a host of different and new battery technologies in the pipeline, e.g. manganese-ion, sodium-ion, lithium-sulfur and others, with different attributes on density of power storage, rechargability and lower raw materials costs.

TCGR’s proposed study “Batteries and Energy Storage: The Next Technology Advances” will undertake a comprehensive look into the current and future EV battery pipeline for both automotive and power markets, with the leading materials science experts contained within its renowned Dialog Group®. From this basis we will analyze the business and players and provide strategic business and technical insights for materials providers, metal suppliers, chemicals producers and anode/cathode development companies. In addition, overviews of both the EV automotive and power storage market penetration rates will be used to provide useful nuggets for business development and planning purposes.

While there is a clear understanding that Li-ion battery production will grow tremendously over the next decade, it is decidedly less clear as to what technology developments are necessary to achieve that growth and how new technology changes will affect production and costs. This report will be unique in that it will look at both current lithium-ion technology advancements and the potential new materials science and chemistries that will replace Li-ion from the perspective of theoretical achievements against the required material and production costs required to achieve those gains.

Charter subscribers (those who sign up for the study before March 9, 2018) will have the opportunity
to work with TCGR to further refine the scope of the report by delineating areas of particular interest for inclusion in the assessment.

Additional information, including the complete study proposal, the preliminary Table of Contents and the Order Form, can be downloaded via the link below. For additional study details or to subscribe, please contact Clyde Payn at +1.215.628.4447 or cpayn@catalystgrp.com.

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The Catalyst Group Resources (TCGR), a member of The Catalyst Group, is dedicated to monitoring and analyzing technical and commercial developments in catalysis as they apply to the global refining, petrochemical, fine/specialty chemical, pharmaceutical, polymer/elastomer and environmental industries.